The present application is a Continuation in Part of PCT Application Number PCT/IB00/01560 filed Oct. 27, 2000, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/162,414, filed Oct. 27, 1999.
The present invention relates generally to techniques for processing air bag activation signals, and more specifically to the utilization of fuzzy logic during the air bag deployment determination.
Air bag systems are commonly used in vehicle applications to provide protection for the vehicle operator and/or passenger in the event of a vehicular collision. Typical technique for implementing an air bag system includes detecting vehicular acceleration via an accelerometer and then evaluating the resulting acceleration signal to determine whether an impact of sufficient severity has occurred to require the air bag to deploy.
Most acceleration-based air bag systems utilize a microprocessor to evaluate the acceleration signal. As is known in the art, such microprocessor use permits evaluation algorithms to be easily implemented in software. The deployment determination in known systems is based on conventional logic operations.
However, because the deployment determination is typically rigidly implemented by using conventional logic operations, certain deployment determinations may not be optimized. In addition, modeling all the parameters of the very complex processes of selectively firing an air bag cannot encompass all possible variables to provide for the optimal ruing of an air bag.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide an intelligent airbag controller which will provide a deployment determination based in part on partial truths or fuzzy logic determinations to more particularly tailor deployment.